Stomias ferox

Stomias ferox is a subspecies of deep-sea fish in the family Stomiidae.

Description
Stomias ferox has an elongated body and small head; it is up to 30 cm in length, black underneath and iridescent silver on its flanks, with a barbel that has a pale stem, dark spot at base of bulb and three blackish filaments. It has six rows of hexagonal areas above a lateral series of large photophores. The dorsal and anal fins are opposite each other, just anterior to the caudal fin. It can be distinguished from the S. boa boa subspecies by its larger number of photophores.

Name
The subspecies name ferox means "wild, ferocious." It is sometimes called dragon-boa, dragonfish or boa dragonfish, but those names are equally applied to Stomias boa as a species, or the S. boa boa subspecies. In Icelandic it is marsnákur ("sea snake") and in Norwegian storkjeft ("big jaw").

Distribution and habitat
Stomias ferox is mesopelagic and bathypelagic, living at depths of 20 - 800 m, concentrated in the north Atlantic.

Diet
Stomias ferox eats midwater fishes and crustaceans; it rises to near the surface to feed at night. It positions itself horizontally in the water column with pelvic and pectoral fins spread wide and barbel pointing forward.

Reproduction
Stomias ferox is oviparous.